November 22, 2020 – Our Lord Jesus Christ the King of the Universe

Today is the last Sunday of the liturgical year A.  On the last Sunday of each liturgical year, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.  Pope Pius XI instituted this feast in 1925 with his encyclical Quas primas (“In the first”) to respond to growing secularism and hostility against the Church.  Today reminds us that while governments and ideologies come and go, Christ reigns as King forever.  During the early twentieth century in Mexico, Russian, and in many parts of Europe, atheistic regimes threatened not just the Catholic Church and its faithful, but civilization itself.  Pope Pius XI’s encyclical gave Catholics hope and while governments around  them crumbled, the assurance that Christ, the King shall reign forever.  Pope Pius XI said that: “Christ reigns in the hearts of men, both by reason of the keenness of his intellect and the extent of his knowledge, and also because he is very truth, and it is from him that truth must be obediently received by all mankind.”

His encyclical continues to ring true today.  The Holy Father speaks directly to the problem of what he referred to as “anti-clericalism” by which he meant the attitude of those who were seeking to extirpate Christian influence from political life.  We see a version of this same attitude today when it is suggested that belief in Catholic teachings renders a person unfit for a judicial appointment.  Aggressive secularist campaigns have sought to marginalize the Church and other religious institutions.  Religious freedom today continues to be attacked.  When our nation is beset by civil unrest, racial tension, and a pandemic, we do well to turn to Our Lord, who reigns over every people and nation!

As you know, after MercyFest 2018 we decided to discontinue MercyFest.  That was probably a good thing because we would have had to cancel it if we had planned to have it this past October.  We have closed the MercyFest bank account and spent the remaining $9,000 as follows:  Donation to Hesed House; Replacement of two of the monitors in the narthex of the church and PLC; Installation of I-Wave air filtration systems in the church HVAC system that will purify and sanitize the air in the church (completed two weeks ago); retro fitting the parking light fixtures with LED lighting (cost split with Com-Ed, work yet to be scheduled).  Again, thank you to all the chairpersons, volunteers and supporters of MercyFest over the years!  Much has been accomplished!!

Fr. James, along with our Deacons and wives and parish staff join me in wishing all of you a very blessed Thanksgiving Day!

Have a blessed week!

Father Don